How Strange
by Boulevard
Summary: AU fic. Welcome to Xavier's School for the Gifted and Talented. The daily life of students with, not powers, but extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Introduction to some of the students.
1. Default Chapter

**Author's Note:** This is an AU fic, meaning it will be different from what's going happening on the TV show.  This is rated PG-13 for cursing.  I suck at writing accents, so if I end up screwing them up, don't be surprised.    

**Disclaimer:** I do not, I repeat, I **do not** own X-Men Evolution.  This goes for all the chapters.  

"words": speech

_words_: thoughts  

How Strange 

~*~

Remy Lebeau slouched in his seat.  He was growing incredibly weary of the plane ride, having ridden back and forth from New York and his home state of Louisiana for the past couple days.  His head jolted up as he heard a creak coming from the cockpit.  Out came a thin, bald man in a wheelchair.  Charles Xavier, the man who had persuaded his father to allow his son to attend his school.  _Some freak school,_ he thought to himself bitterly.  So maybe he was semi talented, did it mean he had to go to a school especially for that?  

"Just to let you know," Xavier began, interrupting his daydream, "we'll be arriving in about an hour."  Noting the exhausted look on the young man's face, he added, "Rest up.  Flying has taken its toll on you."  With that said, he wheeled away.  

_Great, another hour._  He began to think back to the day when he had been informed about that "school"…

It had just been an ordinary day, ripping money off tourists, hanging out with his friends…the usual.  In fact, life was great down at the bayou.  However, all of that changed when the dude in the wheelchair came.  

He started yapping about this great school he had, a school for the "gifted" he called it.  Remy knew that his father was skeptical about it, even suspicious.  He said he saw great potential in Remy, coming from a line of master thieves.  He had created that institute to let people like him grow up without ridicule from others or pressure from parents, to let them have an as normal life as possible.  He explained that the teachers there were some of the best in their league, ranging from big business entrepreneurs, to karate masters.  There was also a wide array of students.  Some were child prodigies, computer geniuses, and world class writers, to name a few.  While being told this, all he could think of was, _what the hell?_  

He didn't need a school, not that he completely adamant against it, after all, he didn't have a problem with trying new things or meeting new people.  It was just that he already had a normal life, he had already friends, he already had family who supported him.  Why should he go to a school that offered what he already had?  But he could already see his father contemplating the idea.  He already had the feeling he was going to send him there since he was falling behind in his studies.

_Why do I need to go to school when I know I'm just going to be thieving for the rest of my life?  Don't know why my pa's been getting on my case._  But he could see it all in his eyes, the handshake, the visits to the school, the final confirmation, and the signing of sheets.  He didn't really understand why his father was even sending him there.  Sure, he _suspected_ he was sending him there because of his grades, but Jean-Luc wasn't telling him anything.

_And to think my pa wanted to keep me here.  Either that Professor Xavier is some talker or something's up._  But he knew better than to question his father's antics.  

In a week, he was already packed up with everything ready to go.  And today, today was the day he left his old life…

Remy felt that the plane veering slightly left, losing altitude at the same time.  He quickly buckled his seat belt and peered out the window.  The small city of Bayville was in view, getting closer and closer as they dropped lower and lower.  The buildings and landscape began to grow bigger, inch by inch.  Finally, there was a thud and the sound of screeching tires, causing the private jet to bounce up and down before coming to a complete stop.  

It was unusually dark, but when he got off, he knew why.  They were in some sort of underground landing strip.  He vaguely remembered Xavier talking about it on the way over.  Dragging the bags full of his belongings, he made his way down the flight of stairs from the plane to the ground.  "Well Remy," the professor spoke for the first time after their arrival, "I'd like to welcome you to Xavier's School for the Gifted and Talented."          

~*~

Do you guys think I should continue?  Tell me what you think.  Also, would anyone mind telling me what Rahne's accent is supposed to sound like?            


	2. This is

I have to apologize early for butchering Rahne's accent.  I just cannot write Scottish accents.  Oh, and LMN, you have a good point.  I really shouldn't be asking for people's opinion when I haven't written much, but that "chapter" was more like a teaser.  Anyway, if you're no longer reading, I wouldn't blame you.  My stories are usually full of plot holes and have absolutely no direction.  But as I was saying, here's the first real chapter…

~*~

Remy looked around the mansion, vaguely impressed.  _Nothing really compared to the house back home, but it's pretty nice for a school._  

"Would you like to rest for a little bit or have a tour of the school?" the professor asked.  

Although he was a tired, he decided he had enough energy to walk around.  And, it would be nice to see what kind of people he was going to live with for the rest of the year.  "De tour," he answered curtly.  

"All right then, just put your bags down," the professor motioned towards the floor, "They'll be taken care of.  I'm assuming you would rather have someone your age to show you around, correct?"  

Remy gave a short nod as his response.  

"Well then," the professor puffed out, looking out the window to see one of his pupils, "excuse me while I call someone."  

Remy watched as the professor rolled out, disappearing around the corner.  He wandered around the study, looking at the pictures all over the room.  They were of teenage boys and girls, undoubtedly the students of the institute.  In them, they were laughing or looking perfectly content, no sign of any dejection or misery.  But he noticed one picture.  The one picture that looked quite odd…

Before he got a chance to take a closer look at it, the professor had returned, and with him, brought a female student.  "Remy," he said, "This is Katherine Pryde, other wise known as Kitty, your tour guide."  She waved shyly, clutching a laptop tightly in one arm.  "Kitty, this is Remy Lebeau."

"Pleasure t' meet y'," he replied, and in a sweeping motion, took her hand and kissed it lightly, causing her to blush a deep crimson.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she said softly, "Um…I guess we should start."  She motioned her hand to let him know to follow.  They walked down the hallway in a cloud of silence until Remy broke it, "Not much o' a talker, are y'?"  

"Well," she paused, "I guess you could call me shy, but once I know someone a little better, I can't shut up."  She looked at him timidly, "It's just that, you know, shy around new people sort of thing.  Anyway," she turned her head towards the room in front of them, "This is the gathering room.  It's where people sit around and talk."  She shrugged her shoulders in the "who'd have thought" way.  

He nodded, wanting her to just continue the tour.  "And over here," she continued, "is the rec room.  Over 200 channels and any game you can think of."  As she turned to him, she could see that he was bored beyond belief.  "Sorry if I'm boring you."  

"Non, it's jus' dat I was hopin' t' meet de other students."  

"We could do that," she began walking again, "I think most of them are outside."  Trying to figure out some small talk, she asked, "So why are you here?"  

"Scuse m'?"  

"Oh!  I didn't mean to sound that rude, I just meant, you know, you're here because…?"  

"I'm here cuz I'm a master thief."

"Wow," she said wistfully, "That's pretty cool."  

"How 'bout you?"  

"I can…I can do some things with a computer."  

Remy's eyebrows began to rise.  "As in…?"  

"I'm sort of a computer genius."  

"So what can y' do?  Hack int' whatever computer system y' wan' t'?"  

"Yeah," she began slowly, "and send viruses, decode incrypted messages…stuff like that."  

"Pretty cool if y' ask m'."  

"I guess," she said, blushing slightly, "but the people here can do a ton of other stuff too."  She opened a door, which led them to a beautiful garden with a small koi pond, surrounded by lush green grass and wild flowers.  As they walked down a narrow path, a bunch of kids sitting on some benches began to come into view.  

[1]"…and I wanted to throw that magazine across the room.  I mean, it was a twelve year old, a friggin' _twelve year old,_ trying to seduce a twenty two year old.  Then, as "his" punishment, his sister had to be gang raped?  That was the sickest thing I've ever read and to think it happened to other girls."  The young girl's head turned around as she heard people approaching.  "Oh, hi Kitty.  Who's that?" she asked, nodding towards the tall Cajun following her.

"Guys, this is Remy Lebeau, the new student the professor talked about.  Remy, this is Jubilee, Bobby, Sam, Kurt, and Rahne," she said while pointing to each individual student.

"Well, welcome," Jubilee said, apparently speaking for everyone, "What brings you here?"  

"I'm a master thief," he answered, just short of sounding completely arrogant.  

"Really," replied Bobby.  

"Y' don' t'ink I am?" he asked, getting slightly annoyed.  

"Dude, chill out, I'm not saying that you aren't.  I mean, Kitty hacked into _Yahoo!_ once and shut it down for about a day.  I'm not doubting what you say by just saying 'really'."

"Don't mind him," Rahne said, elbowing Bobby, "He jest enjoys hearing himself talk.  Best be tae ignore him."  

"So," Remy continued, taking Rahne's advice and ignoring him, "what can you all do?"

"Karate expert," Jubilee made a slicing motion with her hand, "Being Bruce Lee's great-niece and all."  

"I play ze piano," spoke up Kurt in a heavy German accent.  

"Dat's all?" questioned Remy.  

Kurt opened his mouth to say something, but Jubilee interrupted him.  "He means to say that he's a world class pianist and has composed over 100 sonatas, concertos, preludes, and etudes.  People are calling him the next Bach and Beethoven."

Kurt looked embarrassed as Jubilee rattled off the list of things about him.  

"I swear," Remy remarked, "all y' guys have self confidence problems, 'cept you," he pointed at Jubilee.

"No," she pouted, "you should hear how Roberto and Evan talk about themselves.  Even Amara.  Blah blah blah, professional coaches were already looking at me when I was eight, _Bon Appetit_ called me the greatest chef of the next century, I can do all these math problems and read all these books, you're so dumb."  She rolled her eyes.  

"What can dey all do?" he asked, interested.  

"Roberto is this super jock.  He can play any sport like a pro, even if he's only seen it and never played it.  Evan is this master chef, but his food _is_ hella good.  And Amara is this child prodigy, like the ones you always read about in magazines, where they graduate college when they're ten and have an IQ of 200," she ticked off each name on her fingers.

"Dey can get into here jus' cuz dey can cook and play sports?"  

"Yeah, but you have to be _really_ good.  And believe me, they're both _really, really_ good in what they do."  The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement.  "Almost unnaturally good."    

"What about de rest o' y'?"

"Well," Sam began, "Ah have photographic memory."  

"What?"

"Ah have photographic memory," he repeated, "If ya give meh a picture or list or whatever and let meh look at it for a little bit, Ah can tell ya exactly what's on it after ya take it away from meh."  He grinned slightly, "Ah guess Ah'm lahk Cam Jansen." [2]  

"Who?"  

"That girl in those children books.  The one who keeps solving crimes with his photographic memory.  Except Ah don't solve crime and Ah'm not a girl," he shrugged sheepishly.  

"Never heard o' de books.  Mind givin' a demonstration?" he asked.  

"Sure, what have ya got?"  

"Here," Rahne tossed him a book, "Ye can memorize the first page."  

For about 10 seconds, he stared at it, almost as if entranced by it.  Putting the book down, he closed his eyes and reeled off, "Lee Chong's grocery, while not a model of neatness, was a miracle supply.  It was small and crowded but within its single room a man could find everything he needed…" [3] and went on for the next few minutes, reciting the first page of _Cannery Row_ word for word, astonishing Remy completely.

When he finished, Remy asked, "How do y' know if you're jus' good at memorizin'?"

Sam shrugged, "Maybe Ah am, but Ah can also describe any picture if ya let me look at it for a second."  

Remy just shook his head in amazement, "Non, I believe y'," he turned to Rahne, "How 'bout y'?"            

"I kin solve any math problem ye throw at me," she said proudly.  

"Mathematical genius?"  

"Aye."  

"And you?" he finally turned to Bobby.  

"I can solve any puzzle."  

"How'd y' figure dat out?"  

"Well, when I was five…" he began, causing everyone to moan.  

"Please, don't tell zhat story again," groaned Kurt, "you've told it to us a hundred times already."  

"And deprive him of knowing?" asked Bobby in shocked mockery, "I should think not.  _Anyway_, when I was five, my parents gave me a Rubric's puzzle for my birthday.  They had even messed it up so I could try to solve it.  An hour later, I did.  I think they were pretty shocked to see that, so they screwed it up again to see whether or not it was a fluke. They even watched me solve it again.  And again, and again, and again.  It got to the point where they decided it wasn't an accident and decided that they had a semi genius son, which, by the way, I'm not, not really anyway," he added, "I just like puzzles, s'all."

"Y' can solve _any_ puzzle?"  

"To my knowledge, yes.  But I especially like those Rain Tree puzzles."[4]

_Shit, Xavier wasn't kidding when he said it was a school for "talented" people._  "Is this all of you?"  

"No, there are about, I think, 10 more, not including the teachers," replied Jubilee 

"Who else?"  

"Let's see, there's Roberto, Evan, and Amara, who we told you about, then there's Jean, Scott, Ray, Jamie, and Rogue.  The teachers are the professor, Mr. Logan, Ms. Munroe, Mr. McCoy, and Mr. Worthington.  I think that's it," she closed her eyes, trying to see if she forgot anyone.  Her eyes popped out of her head, "Oh, wait, there's also Ms. Braddock, who visits occasionally.  But we think that it's just because Mr. Worthington's her boyfriend."  

"Anythin' I need t' know 'bout dem?"  

"Okay," Jubilee smiled wickedly, while everyone just rolled their eyes.  It wasn't a secret that she loved to gossip.  "First, though they don't admit it, Jean and Scott both have a crush on one another, completely oblivious to the other's affection.  Jamie is the youngest, so he can act like the kid sometimes.  That's why we usually leave him out of stuff.  I don't think he really minds though, he'd rather be by himself, anyways.  Evan has this rivalry thing with this other kid at another school.  Whenever they see each other they _always_ get in a fight, no matter what.  Ray has a really short temper.  'Nuff said.  Roberto tries to act like he's all tough and shit, but he's really insecure.  That's half the reason why he brags about himself, just to make himself feel better.  Mr. Logan has this weird thing for alone time, but the rest of the teachers are pretty cool."  She paused for a minute, trying to remember everything.  "Did I miss anyone?"  

"Yeah," smirked Bobby, "the one person who has PMS 24/7." 

Jubilee snapped her fingers, "I knew I forgot someone."  She let a long silence follow for effect.  

Remy, tired of waiting, asked, "And that would be…?"     

"Rogue.  Trust me, and everyone else, avoid her at all costs.  All she does around here is sulk, and when someone tries to talk to her, she gets all bitchy.  No idea why."  A satisfying _crack!_ of her gum could be heard.   

"But in her defense," Kitty spoke up, "she's not as bad as all of you think she is."  

"_Puh-_leeze, that girl is crazy.  I don't even know how you even put up with her, being her room mate and all."  

"To you, she is, but then again, maybe it's because you act like a brat.  It's no wonder she can't stand you.  I don't even know why _we_ even put up with you."  

"Great!" Bobby exclaimed excitedly, "Catfight!"

"Bobby, shut up," glowered Kitty, "And to you," she turned to Jubilee, "you've never given her a chance.  You've always assumed, ever since you came, that she's a loser since she never talks to anyone."

"And that," Jubilee snorted, "is correct."

"You're prejudging her.  You don't know her.  Hell, I didn't know you, and given the information about you was that you were this rich little daddy's girl who grew up in Beverly Hills, I had my doubts about you too.  But when we finally met you, you weren't that bad.  Sure, you were bratty at times, but you were ok.  Well, tolerable."  Kitty's normally soft, brown eyes turned cold and glaring.  

Bobby couldn't resist but comment, again, "Oooh, and the drama unfolds…"

"Bobby," hollered Kitty, "SHUT UP!"  And she promptly shoved him into the pond, causing everyone to jump and get out of the way, avoiding the beads of water.

He began to paddle and splash his way to the top, sending water flying everywhere in the process.  "Fuck, Kitty," he gasped, running his hand over his eyes, "you didn't have to do _that._"  

But she had already left, mumbling about unwashed miscreants that roamed the earth, leaving everyone surrounding a soaking wet Bobby to burst out laughing.

~*~

From a window high above, a young girl watched the group of teens laughing at Bobby.  She smirked, a change from her trademark scowl.  _Well, whatever you did, you probably deserved it._  Her fingers glided smoothly across a chess board, moving the black pieces, imagining a commendable opponent.  Nobody in this school could prove themselves worthy, so she'd often play by herself.  Some may call her a sociopath, but she didn't care.  She had learned the hard way to never trust people, the unfortunate reality that the people out there didn't give two shits about her.  The game of chess was all she had and that, that was something she would never let anyone take away.  

~*~

Blue.  His favorite color was blue.  Blues with hints of red, with a slight hue of green, any blue.  He used the brush to stroke, stroking it to blend the colors together.  It was amazing how much solace he found in painting.  It was the only way to release his emotions, feelings and share them with others.  And besides, it was fun.  

~*~

All he needed to do was melt the two wires together and then he would be done.  With careful precision and caution, the smoky, burnt smell of rubber and metal ran around his nose.  His eyes watered as he tried to hold in his cough, lungs ready to burst.  Finally, the two pieces were made into one and he was given the freedom to release into a fit of hacking coughs.  Flushed, he turned to the latest thing he created, a miniature radio, about the size of the nail of his big toe.  He even made sealed ear phones, that way, no one would be able to here the sound coming out.  It was perfect, absolutely perfect for Mr. McCoy's occasional boring lectures.

~*~

Tapping his pencil impatiently, a young man waited to be "inspired".  He just wanted something to write about, anything.  His hand ran over the unevenness of frame in front of him, taking in the bumps and grooves.  It sickened him.  His whole life was filled with bumps, making him want to scream with frustration.  They were so much a part of his life, that he just wanted to be rid of them, never to feel them ever again.  

Unfortunately for him, this could not be the case.  He depended on them, constantly, which only irritated him even more.  They only made him feel trapped, becoming a prisoner of them, which, in his mind, was pretty stupid, considering they were only bumps.  But at that moment, he found what he was looking for, an object to angst over.  And so he began to write…

~*~

She began to shuffle and reshuffle the cards in front of her.  Neatly placing them on the desk, she pulled the first five cards from the deck.  Two fours, two nines, and a king.  _Not bad._  She stared into the mirror directly in front of her, poker face in place.  She couldn't help but grin.  _I would have even fooled myself, but I can't get too cocky,_ she quickly thought.  The smile faded away immediately and was replaced by a bland eyed stare.  _Much better._        

~*~

Can you believe you actually finished a chapter?  Congratulate yourselves.  Constructive criticism is always welcomed.  Don't be afraid to say you hate it, but then again, if you hate it, you probably don't want to put any effort into saying you hate it.  

Hope you guys didn't mind me making Jubilee talk for most of it.  She always did seem like a loudmouth.  For some of the people, I got their talents from the media, such as Sam with Cam Jansen.  Also, I got the others from the _Joy Luck Club_ by Amy Tan and _This American Life with Ira Glass_, the NPR radio show.  That isn't plagiarizing, is it?     

[1] I actually read about this in Newsweek and it disgusted me beyond belief.  Call me naïve, but I seriously cannot believe that stuff like this is still going on.  To make matters worse, the people living in that town were _surprised_ that the media forced police to arrest one of the men that gang raped that woman.  

[2] I read the Cam Jansen series a _looong_ time ago.  I think the books are by David Adler.  

[3] That was an excerpt from, what else, Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. 

[4] Rain Tree Puzzles are a whole collection of puzzles, which, in my opinion, are pretty cool.     

             


	3. Look Inside

Kitty charged into the mansion, slamming the door behind her.  She fumed over what Jubilee had said about Rogue.  _How could she say all of that?_ she wondered, _she doesn't even know Rogue._  Although Kitty had friends and seemed like a normal teenager, she knew exactly what Rogue had gone through ever since her own childhood and beginning of junior high.  She had been ridiculed for her expertise in computers, already evident at a young age.  No matter how hard she tried, she was never able to find a friend who would look past all of that and see her for that kind, quiet girl that she was.  She had even attempted to hide her talents and act below her intelligence to try to be accepted.  Nonetheless, that didn't work and she was leading a miserable life.  As one could imagine, Xavier's school was a godsend for her, being able to live with people who knew exactly what she had endured.  Here, she didn't have to be afraid to hide her intellect, nor did she have to do anything to be respected.  

Turning the doorknob, she entered her room and saw the person who had previously been on her mind, Rogue.  She was currently sitting in front of a chessboard, the pieces in the various places throughout the game board.  Without even glancing at her roommate, the chess master asked, "New student arrived?"  

The question was so curt and direct, it caught Kitty slightly off guard.  "Yeah," she answered, surprised, "How'd you know?"  

"Ah could see ya guys down in the garden."  

"Oh, right."  _How can I be so dumb?  Of course she can see us from the window in our room._  "Well," Kitty said, trying to brighten up the mood in the room, "I guess I'll work on my computer."  There was no answer from her roommate.  "Ok, yeah," she said, fumbling with her laptop as well as with her words, "um…I'll just leave you alone now…"  Silence, again.  

Kitty pursed her lips as she began to write an email to her parents.  On occasion, she couldn't believe that she would actually stand up for Rogue.  _I mean, she's so…cold, rude even.  In a way, Jubilee's right, I don't know how I put up with her._      

Rogue, herself, made it perfectly clear that she didn't want anyone's pity, nor did she want their friendship.  Kitty had often wondered about her.  There was so little that anyone knew about her, including her real name.  Her past was shrouded away in mystery, only leaving speculation and skepticism.  Who was she?  Could they trust her?  Was she spying on them?  

Rogue, even as isolated as she made herself, slowly managed to gain everyone's trust.  At times, she could be especially ill tempered, but that was just her personality.  She didn't bother you if you didn't bother her.  It was an on going circle.  And even though she could be cranky and lonely, she would be the one of the first to jump in and defend someone.  There were many a time when the older students began to pick on Jamie, she would step in and threaten to beat them to a pulp if they didn't stop.

Perhaps that was the reason why Kitty would stick up for her; Rogue would intervene when she wanted to.  And in a way, Kitty admired her independence.  Rogue didn't have many friends because she didn't _want_ any friends.  Then again, it could be her attitude that turned everyone off.  _But it could also be that she's acting like that so no one would even bother to talk to her._  Sometimes, Kitty just wanted to reach over to Rogue and beg her not to waste her life by just sitting in the corner of her room, only she knew that she would never have the courage to do that.

Rogue turned to the direction of her roommate, only to see Kitty staring at her.  "What are ya lookin' at?"  

"Oh!  Sorry.  I was just, uh…just…"  

"Forget about it."  

"No!" Kitty scrambled as she tried to explain herself, "I was…um, thinking about you?" she said sheepishly.  

"Great!" Rogue's voice was full of fake enthusiasm, "Didn't know Ah had an admirer."  

"You don't understand!  It's not like that…" her voice began to falter, as she realized Rogue had turned back to her chess game, tuned out to what she was saying, "Never mind…" she mumbled.  

"Ah know what you're trying ta say," Rogue said, eyes never leaving the game board, "and Ah'm still listening."

"It never seems like it."  

"It's amazing how you can look so occupied after being invisible tah the world for so long.  You'd think that you'd be begging for attention, but ya don't.  Ya just accept it," Rogue's head turned to face Kitty, "That's how it's always been for meh.  Accept it and move on."  

"Don't you even care what people have to say to you?"  

Rogue shrugged.  "Not really.  Most of it's just a bunch of bullshit.  It's not worth mah tahme."  Seeing the hurt look on Kitty's face she sighed and added, "Ah said _most_ of it is bullshit, not all.  Ah swear, ya get hurt too easily."

"I know…I can't help it."  

"Well, get used ta it," Rogue had now stood up and began to walk towards the door, "People aren't going ta pamper you for the rest of your life.  Grow some sort of backbone."  She paused at the door.  "Pushing Bobby into the pond was a good start.  It shows initiative."  

Kitty watched her walk out of the room and go off to wherever she was going.  She couldn't help but sigh and think, _She's right.  But I **am** assertive—just when I want to be._  Chuckling about the previous incident, she turned to finish her email, but forgot about one thing…  _Oh shit!_  She slapped her forehead, _I forgot all about Remy and the stupid tour._  Slamming her laptop shut, she rushed out of her room, trying to think of an excuse for her erratic behavior.  

~*~

Rogue began walking down the hallway when she bumped into Jean Grey, resident red head.  "Oh, hey Rogue," she greeted her warmly, with a smile that never faded, "what are you up to?"  

"Ah've got table duty in five minutes."  

"Yuck," Jean wrinkled her nose, "that's never fun."  

"Is anything here fun?"  

Before Jean had a chance to respond, Kitty ran by, nearly tripping and falling down the stairs in the process.  "What's the rush?"  

"I left the new kid outside when I was supposed to show him around," she yelled back, disappearing behind through the doorway at the bottom of the stairs.  

"New kid?" Jean asked Rogue curiously, "He's here already?"

"Yeah, Ah think he arrived today."  

"Really?  What can he do?"  

Rogue shrugged.  "Ah don't know.  Guess we'll find out."  She pointed to the glass door, letting the two of them see a group of people coming towards them.

"…sorry I ran out like that.  I just had a momentary mental breakdown or something.  If you want to, I could still show you around…"  Kitty was apologizing, like usual, trying to explain herself.  

"Non," he shook his head, "It's okay.  I t'ink I can find m' way around here."

"Are you sure?  I mean, I don't want you to get lost or…"  

"Kitty!" Jubilee said loudly, clearly exasperated, "He said he was ok.  Don't start to spaz again.  Geez, just get the point already."

"Well," she began uncertainly, "if you say so…"  Her attention was diverted to two of her classmates, who were looking quite curiously at the cluster of people in the room.  "Oh, and before I forget, Remy, this is Jean Grey," Jean gave a smile and a wave, "and Rogue."  Rogue gave a short nod as acknowledgment.  "Guys, this is Remy LeBeau."

"Bonjour.  Nice t' meet both of y'."  He bowed slightly to the two of them, causing his shaggy hair to fall over his face.  Through his hair, he observed them closely, just like he had to everyone else he had met.  The girl on the right was, to say the least, beautiful.  Her long, ruby colored hair flowed down and around her shoulders, perfectly tressed.  Her smile lit up her face, which, was flawless, not a pimple or blemish in sight.  The girl on the right was almost the exact opposite.  In place of a smile was a frown, a frown only deepened by the glower of her piercing green eyes.  It didn't help that her eyes were outlined with eyeliner, only intensifying her glare.  

"Oh, are you French?" Jean asked, noticing the greeting and accent.  

As Remy was about to reply, Rogue beat him to it.  "Naw," she began, "It sounds Cajun.  N'awlins, raht?" 

He raised an eyebrow.  "Oui.  An' would dat be a southern accent?"  

"Yeah," she said, nodding, "Mississippi."

"Okay," Jubilee jumped in, "Could we _please_ stop comparing accents and do something more interesting?"

"How 'bout a poker game?"  Remy pulled out the deck of cards that he always kept in his pocket.  

Jean immediately grinned, "Yes, let's."  

Everyone groaned while she looked around innocently.  "What?  Is it my fault that I always kick your asses at poker?"

This peaked Remy's interest.  "Y' good at playin'?"  

Still grinning broadly, she answered, "It's the whole reason why I'm here."  

"Really?" both of his eyebrows were raised.  _Hey, I'm always up to the challenge.  _"Five card draw, deuces wild…"  

Rogue, not in the mood for a card game and remembering that she had come down for a reason, began to head towards the cabinet drawers.  Pulling out about a dozen plates, she wandered into the eating area, setting up for that night's dinner.

~*~

By the end of dinner, Remy had gotten to know the rest of the little group he met a little better.  Jubilee had informed him that most of the people ate when they wanted to, as to not disturb them on whatever they happened to be doing.  Actually, he preferred meeting with a small group of people as opposed to a huge mass of people.  This way, it was easier to understand the different persons he was meeting with, being able to pay attention to their actions, the way they presented themselves, their way of speaking.  

Jubilee, for instance, was a person who loved to talk; there was no doubt in that.  She would always make her opinion clear and open, not really caring what another person may think.  In actuality, she contradicted the whole saying of "Think before you speak".  _Or maybe it was "Think before you act".  I dunno…_  He also noted that she, whenever not eating a meal, had a piece of gum in her mouth, smacking it loudly and incessantly, annoying the hell out of him.  Underneath her very loud personality, she was actually really afraid.  Afraid that she would lose all her friends, afraid that she would do something wrong and everyone would then turn their backs on her.  It was during a strange conversation about the Bible that Remy noticed this.  Her eyes had begun darting around, realizing no one was talking to her, that she was no longer the center of attention.  Her face had grown cold and sour after having nothing to talk about.  But once the conversation turned back to something she could relate to, her mouth wouldn't shut.  _Interesting…a need for attention…_        

Kurt, on the other hand, was almost the opposite of Jubilee.  He was always composed, but knew when to relax.  On some occasions, he was a playful goofball, doing silly tricks and telling _really_ corny jokes.  But he too had something behind his lighthearted grin.  For Kurt, it seemed like it pained him to talk about his gift for composing and playing music, almost like it was a burden, something he didn't want.  One thing Kurt refused to talk about was his childhood, which he still hid from everyone, not saying a word about it.

On a lighter note, Rahne, Sam, Bobby, and Jean seemed like the best adjusted of the group.  Most of them came from well to do families, grew up in a nice neighborhood, had good relationships with their parents and siblings, stuff like that.  

Rahne seemed like a person who was on the defensive, even if you weren't even criticizing her.  Despite her fun loving personality, she could be incredibly edgy.  If you say one thing or do something that didn't she didn't agree with, it could send her spiraling into a bad mood and make you Public Enemy Number One.  But it appears to only be for a bit.  This was particularly evident when Bobby had slipped a piece of ice down her shirt.  Sure, she was mad at him and was cranky for the rest of the dinner, but by the end of dinner, she had seemed to have forgotten all about it, going back to her cheerful self.  

Next would be Bobby.  Playing practical jokes and acting like a teenage boy was basically all he enjoyed doing.  Beside Rahne's ice incident, there was the annoying of Kitty, scaring Jean by tossing a dead bug at her, and saran wrapping the toilet, which had Sam at Bobby's tail.  All of this happened in the two to two and a half hours Remy had been with them.  As far as he could tell, Bobby didn't really seem to have any problems with anyone, nor did he hide anything from anyone, all of which intrigued him even more.  

Sam was the easiest to interpret, being the All American boy you'd always hear about.  Blond, blue eyes, football player, courteous…he was everything of that stereotype.  Remy was able to detect a slight bit of homesickness, yearning for his home in Kentucky.  During dinner, he had learned that Sam especially missed his little sister, Paige, whom he was incredibly close to.  Remy could relate to that.  Right now, he was missing New Orleans like nothing else.  

If Sam was the All American boy, Jean was the girl next door.  His first impression of her was that she was a beautiful, naïve redhead.  In truth, she was extremely sharp and quick, all of which was evident in their little poker game.  _I knew I was good, but she…_  Jean had easily beaten him in all rounds.  She had an uncanny ability to zero in on when he was bluffing.  Remy knew that he had even cheated during the last couple rounds, but nonetheless, she was still able to beat him.  After their game, his respect for her grew immensely.  

Kitty was definitely the shyest of them all.  It was amusing to watch her turn different shades of pink and red whenever everyone began to tease her playfully.  In the beginning, Remy just thought of her as an eager little girl, not really worth to know.  But from the time he first met her till now, she showed that she was quite intelligent and a worthy opponent.  She made it clear that she was to be taken seriously and a force to be reckoned with when she shoved Bobby into the pool.  

The only person he couldn't get a good read on was Rogue.  During the whole dinner, she kept to herself, only speaking when she wanted to tell someone to shut up.  The scowl on her face would always stay there, never once to be replaced by a smile or even a smirk.  It was like she had something against the whole world, wanting everyone to be unhappy like she was.  He sensed some tension between she and Jean, which, he guessed, made sense.  They were everything the other person wasn't.  

"Would y' like help wit' dat, chere?" he asked, seeing Rogue clean up after everyone.  He wasn't the dish washing type, but if it let him see her behavior…

"No, Ah'm all raht."  She began reaching for Sam's plate.  

"Let m' get dat f'r y'," he said, grabbing the plate and handing to her.  

"Ah said, Ah'm FAHNE!" she growled, yanking the plate from his hand before stomping off.

"Get used to that," Jubilee said, while looking at her nails, "That's how she always is."  

_Hmm…looks like it's going to be harder than I thought.  Don't worry chere, we'll be the best of friends, because I know you won't be able to resist this Cajun…_  

~*~

Did you like the interpretation of each character?  Or did you find it boring?  What'd you think of this chapter?  Please review.      


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